Country Roads - Latrobe to Golden Valley Day 1

Today is the first real day of the ride. I managed to get on the road just after 8 am and negotiated the bridge over the Mersey river. This bridge has no shoulders, but I only held up the local schoolbus and other parents taking their kids to school for a minute whilst I crossed. Straight after the bridge a left turn took me onto Railton Road which closely tracks the railway line. The traffic on this road is sparse that adds up to some brilliant triking.

The town of Railton, is trying to make a name for itself by being the town of topiary. I stopped at the Railton Tea Room for some fairly ordinary coffee and some good scones, before pedalling around the town to see the toparies.

Railton road continues following the railway line, the road undulates more than the railway gradient, which is in a definite upwards grade.
I pass through small villages of Mersey Lea and Kimberly places almost forgotten as there are no longer passenger trains and they are off the highway.
I spoke to a man mowing the nature strip. He told me that the back roads that I had mapped out would be good for cycling. This was good use as I wanted to avoid the Bass Highway as much as possible, particularly the stretch through Elizabeth Town, which is narrow and dangerous even in a car.
Dunorlan is another forgotten town, now that the railway only just passes through the road through here once again do not follow the railway exactly but still has gentle gradients. I found myself cycling towards the Bass Highway. Luckily when I almost at the Highway Bengeo Road turns off to my right and I get to ride down a tree lined country avenue instead of competing with trucks.
This road then meets Mole Creek Road, which is the busiest road I have travelled on today. It seemed to be mostly tourists, the road has a wide shoulder so it wasn't too bad.
I dodged the roundabout on the approach Deloraine, mainly because there were no shoulders and heaps of trucks, but mainly I couldn't be bothered cycling up the steep grade only to come back down again. I cut through the reserve instead.
In Deloraine I fuelled up with a late lunch of hamburger, chips and coke.
It was about 3pm when I left Deloraine. Across the bridge the Lakes Highway officially begins. It follows the Meander river for about 7km before turning towards the highlands proper.
I rested in for a while just off the road and heard something moving in the bush just on the other side of the fence. It turned out to be a Mennonite (Amish) woman, in her long 19th century dress, picking up rubbish that passing motorists had dumped. Strange how it was left for those who try to be out of the modern world are left to clean up its mess.
The road now started to get steeper and little downhill runs became less frequent. I rode into Qamby Corner Caravan Park at 5pm. Being at the bottom of a steep valley it was getting dark at the time.
The facilities at the campsite although basic were good. I got the impression that the owners had big plans for the place but at the moment the small group of mostly longer term occupants were a friendly bunch. It was cheap too at only $8 for a night, although the owner did offer to swap her rusting BMX for my trike instead. 

Distance travelled today 69km
Trip Distance 79km